NEW BRITAIN, CONN. - The LIU Brooklyn women's basketball team hits the road Monday, January 19, for the first of four straight Northeast Conference games away from Brooklyn. The Blackbirds (5-11, 2-3 NEC) will take on league-leading Central Connecticut State (8-8, 4-1 NEC) at 7 p.m. in Detrick Gymnasium.
BLACKBIRD BITS• Most recently, the Blackbirds fell to visiting Northeast Conference opponent Mount St. Mary's Saturday afternoon at the Barclays Center, 76-69. The Blackbirds were a victim of strong shooting by the Mount, as the Mountaineers shot 53.5 percent overall, 55.6 percent from long distance, and 75 percent at the free throw line.
• Junior
Sophie Bhasin led LIU with 23 points, while
Shanovia Dove added 13 points, and junior
Shanice Vaughan added a career-high 11 points, along with three steals. Freshman
Stylz Sanders also hit a new career mark with seven points, while junior
Jahmia Phillips led LIU with six rebounds, and four points.
• The Mount had four players score in double-digits, using a balanced attack in the win. Jacqueline Brewer led her team with 19 points, going 3-for-6 from long distance.
ALL-TIME SERIES • LIU Brooklyn holds the all-time series advantage over Central Connecticut State, 17-11, including sweeping the Blue Devils last season.
• In mid-January of 2014, the Blackbirds beat the Blue Devils in Brooklyn, 60-51, behind
Sophie Bhasin's effort. Bhasin lit it up in the second half for LIU, scoring 17 of her 22 points in the final 20 minutes of the game, helping hold off the CCSU rally, and propel the Blackbirds to victory.
• In February of that year, LIU won in Connecticut, 59-48, led by
Cleandra Roberts' 26-point effort.
SCOUTING THE BLUE DEVILS• Central Connecticut State is the big story in Northeast Conference women's basketball so far this season. Picked to finish ninth in the preseason poll, the Blue Devils are 8-8 overall, and tied for first in the NEC, with a 4-1 record.
• CCSU has plowed through its' early NEC slate, winning four games by margins of 11 points or more. Central has beaten FDU (82-53), Sacred Heart (62-49), Robert Morris (63-46) and league-leading Bryant (70-59). CCSU's lone loss so far came last week, to Mount St. Mary's, 54-50.
• The Blue Devils have a balance offense, with several players contributing points. Junior forward Tejahne Malone is the top scorer, averaging 9.5 points per game this season. Against NEC teams, she averages 11.2 points per game, and is second on the team with 5.9 rebounds per game.
• Junior guard Kayla Miller is next, averaging 8.8 points per game overall, 10.4 points per game in conference play. Miller also leads CCSU in rebounds per game, grabbing 6.0 per contest.
• Freshman guard Camden Musgrace adds 8.6 points per game for the Blue Devils, while senior forward Amanda Harrington pulls down 5.9 boards per game.
SNAGGING STATISTICS • The Blackbirds' high-pressure defense has hit its stride, and the stats reflect it. LIU is currently first in the Northeast Conference and 24th in the nation in steals per game, as the squad averages 11.4 per contest.
• LIU is also 19th in the nation and first in the NEC in offensive rebounds per game, pulling down an average of 17.
WIN WATCH • LIU's head coach
Gail Striegler is just two wins away from her 200th career victory.